“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure.’”
Psalm 122:6 (NIV)
Shalom, my friend.
Because you’re a true friend and partner who is willing to pray fervently and give generously in support of Israel and the Jewish people, I’m hoping I can count on you again. As I write, we’re seeing a significant escalation of tensions in Israel – with hostilities from Hezbollah along Israel’s northern border, and more activity from Iran.
Please join with me and all of us at Jewish Voice Ministries International as we continue to pray for God’s intervention, peace and the safety of God’s people.
HEZBOLLAH CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR LARGEST ROCKET ATTACK AGAINST ISRAEL SINCE 2006
Last Friday morning, the sirens in northern Israel came to life as a barrage of rocket fire was launched from Lebanon. Israeli residents within communities near Israel’s northern border were forced to take shelter from the attack.
When the dust settled, The Times of Israel reported there were no casualties from the 19 rockets. We are grateful for the Lord’s protection in this situation.
The Hezbollah terror group claimed responsibility for the attack – the largest in scale since 2006. The Jerusalem Post also reported that Hezbollah released a statement claiming the attack was in response to the Israel Air Force airstrikes carried out early Thursday morning after Palestinian operatives fired three rockets towards the northern city of Kiryat Shemona on Wednesday.
The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) had initially retaliated Wednesday by firing some 100 artillery shells towards the launch sites and later carried out airstrikes.
According to The Times of Israel, Friday’s attack included ten rockets that were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, six that landed in open territory and a final three rockets that failed to clear the border and landed in Lebanese territory.
No one is eager for there to be any additional escalation of hostilities – potentially leading to an all-out war.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Brig. Gen. Ran Kohav, of the IDF, told reporters that “No side wants war but, on the other hand, we will not accept that this continues: that every two to three weeks there is firing towards the North.”
The Times of Israel also reported that the Hamas terror group expressed its “full support” for Hezbollah’s decision to launch rockets at the “Zionist enemy,” saying, “The battle with this enemy must remain an open one until [Israel] disappears.”
Currently, Israel has conveyed to Lebanon via United Nations peacekeepers that it could intensify its response if calm is not returned to the border.
ATTEMPTED HIJACK OF THE ASPHALT PRINCESS TANKER THWARTED BY CREW, U.S. AND OMANI WARSHIPS
Early last week, according to The Times of Israel, five or six Iranian gunmen attempted to take control of the Asphalt Princess tanker and divert its course to the Islamic Republic.
As the Iranian operatives stormed the tanker, reports indicate the crew quickly sprung to action and sabotaged the ship’s engines so that it could not move any further.
The gunmen fled the ship once US and Omani warships arrived at the scene. None of the crew was injured in the hijacking attempt.
The Times of Israel last week indicated that no one has taken responsibility for the brief seizure, which underscored mounting tensions as Iran and the United States seek a resolution to their standoff over Tehran’s tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
This attempted hijack comes on the heels of another incident two weeks ago when a suspected Iranian drone attack on Israeli-linked Mercer Street tanker left a British national and a Romanian dead.
Such an attack, according to UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, is an intentional, “destabilizing action of Iran.”
Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan also said concerning the attack, that this is another opportunity for Security Council members to identify the “pivotal role the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has played in sowing violence and destruction in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.”
ISRAEL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS BRIEFS AMBASSADORS OF UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL – CALLING ON THEIR SUPPORT TO STOP IRANIAN TERROR AND AGGRESSION
According to the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defense Benny Gantz and Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid hosted ambassadors of United Nations Security Council member countries for a briefing in Jerusalem last Wednesday (August 4, 2021).
This briefing is part of the larger national effort of the State of Israel to call on the international community to condemn and stop Iranian terror and aggression in the region – sparked specifically by the recent Mercer Street tanker attack and the attempted hijacking of the Asphalt Princess.
Following the briefing, Minister Gantz and Minister Lapid issued a joint statement:
“During the past week, Israel has acted in all possible diplomatic and security channels in order to call on the international community to set clear boundaries for Iran and to cease its aggressive conduct. The Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized to the ambassadors that Israel will maintain the right to act independently in the face of any attack or threat to its citizens and sovereignty. They further stressed that the recent attacks are not part of a local or bilateral conflict – rather that this is an attack on the international community, and that the community should treat it as such and respond. Such action requires unity within the international community, and action may be taken through the UN Security Council or any other international framework that will hold Iran accountable for its actions.”
Minister Gantz also emphasized, “The Iranian people are not our enemy. The Iranian regime is threatening us and sparking a regional arms race.”
Let us pray together
Please pray with me for:
- The ceasing of hostile escalations between Hezbollah and Israel
- Protection for Israeli families and residents along Israel’s northern border
- God’s intervention in the midst of the diplomatic discussion about Iran and their destabilizing effect on Israel and the world
- Peace in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel and their enemies
- Jewish people to recognize Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah
